Lathe for turning wood



A. N. WILCOX, OF WATERVLIET, NEIN YORK.

LATI-IE FOR TURNING WOOD.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 19,056, dated January 5, 1858'.

T o all whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, AMANDER N. WILcoX, of VVatervliet, Albany county,State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Self-ActingCutterApparatus for Turning- Lathes; and I declare the followingspecification, with the drawings hereto attached as part of the same, tobe a full and perfect description thereof.

Figure 1 represents in perspective a lathe with my apparatus attached;Fig. 2 a view of the apparatus from the right hand end of the lathe;Fig. 3 a view of the same from the left hand end of the lathe.

Similar letters in the diiferent figures de note the same parts of theapparatus.

The lathe with its frame, pulleys, adjust ing heads, &c., are in thewell known form and need no description further than as shown in thedrawings.

My improvement is connected with the slide-rest and apparatus operatingthe cutters, and the rest jaws attached thereto, and has reference tothe method of applying the cutters to the article being turned, and to amethod of maintaining throughout nearly the entire length ofthat articlea support near the point operated on by the cutters.

A is the slide-rest moving upon guides B and C. It has attached to itsedge the block D by which a feed screw (not shown in the drawings butarranged in the usual manner for lathes,) moves it, the rest, back andforth. The rest supports along its right hand face two slides, beingflat pieces M and N lying one over the other and supporting the cutterstocks and cutters E, G. These slides move vertically, and have throughthem an opening for the passage of the article to be turned. Lyingbehind are two other slides H and J meeting each other, which whenclosed meet over the central point or axis of the lathe, each having asemicircular opening in its edge, which together form a circle of thesize of the largest diameter intended for the turned part of the articleoperated on.

The slides M and N are operated by two levers a and b which aresupported at centers upon an upright K, their inner ends lying understuds c afliXed to the slides, their outer ends being attached toupright rods d and e which pass down through block D having from theirlower ends projecting pins f which pass under the pattern L, saidpattern being attached in the usual manner to the lower front edge ofthe lathe. The weight of the slides keeps the pins f up to the uppermostrecess or lines of the pattern, the lowest edges of the pattern pressingdown the levers d and e and raising the slides.

The slides H and J are operated by rod P, lying along the face ofthe'rest, parts of which are bent so as to lie angularly along itssurface and across H and J, the upper angles across H running in theopposite direction to the lower one across J, the angle being the samein both cases. In the face of the slides small pins w, embrace the rodP, so that as it moves up and down, its inclined edges shove the slidessimultaneously and equally one to the right hand, the other to the lefthand. The rod P is operated by a pin 7L, near its bottom which traversesa slotted guide or pattern Q, lying along the back of the lathe properlyshaped to give due motion to the slides. Upon the other or left side ofthe slide rest (see Fig. 3) is attached a ring R which projects out alittle from its surface; its open diameter being large enough to passthe largest part, when finished, of the article to be turned, in thecase of bed posts and similar work, the square parts. To the ring isafxed the cutter z' to cutxdown the rough material to this size.

Aga inst the face of the rest is a horizontal slide S carrying thecutter L whosework it is to cut the material down from the square to thesize of the largest diameter for the turned article,- so as to fit theopening in the slides H, J, when closed upon each other, thus forming asupport for the material near the point operated on by the cutters E andGr during the whole process of turning. This slide S is operated by theguide Q through the rod T, which being constructed like rod P andoperating in a similar manner throws the slide with its cut-ter le toand from the work.

The knives or cutters E and G are placed so as to cut the material fromthe top progressing downward in a line parallel with a diameter of thecircle of turning, and a short distance in front of it, the cuttersworking a little below the tangent to the circle. Cutter E is set to cuta little deeper than G. By the movement of the rest from right to leftGr precedes E along the pattern L and cuts the material down to theproper form leaving E With a light chip to finish the Work smoothly.

If requisite for more perfect Work more than tWo slides and cutters canbe employed.

The operation of the machine is thus: The material to be turned, say astick for a bedpost being placed between the heads and the rest A placedat the right hand extremity of the stick, and the machine set inmotionfirst the cutter z' trims oftl the rough corners of t-he stick tothe edges of t-he square; next the cutter 71: pares down the Wood to thelargest diameter of the ornamental part of the post, and so as to fitWithin the slides H, J When closed; next the cutter G guided by thepattern L cuts out the ornamental form designed by the pattern, cutter Efollowing close behind and finishing the Work; next just before thatpart of the stick intended for the square part of the post arrives atthe cutters E, G, the pattern raises them above its range; next thesupporting slides H, J, operated by the guide Q open and pass the stick,the cutter c being then Withdrawn by Q. As soon as the square haspassed, the

pattern and guide bring back the rest H--J and cutters to theirappropriate Work to nish the remaining ornamental part of the post.

I do not claim the employment or use of slides carrying cutters andoperated by patterns or guides acting in combination with springs, but Iclaiml. The use of cutter slides M, and N, moving vertically and actingby their oWn Weight in combination With the levers a, o, rods (Z, e, andpatternguide L, constructed and arranged to operate the cutters E, andG, as described.

2. I further claim the combination of the cutter slides and cuttersarranged and operated as described, With the slides H and J and theiroperating mechanism, so as to support the article being turned close tothe cutters, excepting When the square parts of Athe article needpassage through the said slides, substantially as described.

A. N. WILCOX. Witnessesz 'W. C. MILLER, RICHD. VARIOK DE WITT.

